Wandsworth Council child refugee pledge

It is supporting Lord Dubs’s Our Turn campaign, and will
take in up to three unaccompanied and vulnerable refugee children a year for
the next ten years, subject to continued Government support of the scheme.

This is in addition to 43 unaccompanied asylum-seeking
children Wandsworth has already committed to taking in.

Safe Passage has welcomed the announcement

The council’s commitment has been welcomed by Lord Dubs, and
by the organisation Safe Passage which supports refugees.

Beth
Gardiner-Smith, CEO of Safe Passage, said: "By making space for just three more child refugees a
year in each local authority, we could bring over 10,000 children to safety
within a decade. We thank Wandsworth for standing up for child refugees.”

Leader of the Council Ravi Govindia said: “Our Turn is
closely modelled on the original Kindertransport eighty years ago, which
enabled young people to flee persecution and violence and establish a secure
life in the UK.

“We are proud to take on this pledge whilst continuing to
honour our commitment to all children in Wandsworth.

“We will work with local voluntary and faith organisations
to support these children, and will be asking local families to consider
offering a child a home.”

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Recent comments

This is excellent news! Well Done Wandsworth! Trusting the foster parents materialise over the years and the refugee children become well integrated into society.
(formally Wandsworth resident)

Isobel Smallacombe

13 March 2019

Delighted to see this, I welcome this news greatly.

SMartin

12 March 2019

It's great to see this pledge from Wandsworth Council. I've been in Dunkirk and Calais and these children desperately need help and homes. It's a drop in the bucket compared to need, but action across the UK will make a big difference.

nichole beauchamp

12 March 2019

This is welcome news and something I support strongly.

Keith Davies

12 March 2019

As a host to asylum seekers and refugees, I am very pleased that Wandsworth Council has agreed to take these children in. It is good to know that at least these three each year will be safe, looked after and educated, unlike so many others.

Jenny Sheridan

12 March 2019

Delighted that Wandsworth has agreed to take refugee children in the spirit of the UK over many years.

Jenny Weinstein

9 March 2019

Very pleased to see the council finally doing something towards this. Too little, too late, but at least it's something. Now let's do the rest of the linked services needed, like supporting other homeless and vulnerable people.

Jenny Scott-Thompson

18 December 2018

Very pleased to see Wandsworth Council doing its bit to help this dreadful situation. The Government has done little, presumably because of the negative views on refugees of so many in this country, views encouraged by a hostile media. Christians or Humanists, we all have a duty to do what we can for people who need our help, and to turn our backs shows a dark and shameful side of human nature.

Lorcan Farrelly

15 December 2018

On TV tonight (14/12/2018) - over 20,000 sleeping rough in London - and yet Wandsworth talk about housing folk not even from London.

LizzieAnne

14 December 2018

Really pleased to read this. Many councils like Wandsworth and Ealing have been prepared to do so much more than the Government has encouraged. there have been appalling delays in the British scheme - I'm glad Wandsworth is taking this action, tiny though it is in the great scheme of things.

HIlary Belden

14 December 2018

I approached the council for help with housing. I was mocked over the telephone. The officer told me, "If you're on the street, WE DON'T CARE!!!" Now I realise what I should have done: I should have claimed to be under 18 and from Iran and to have lost all my proof of ID while sailing across the English Channel in an inflatable boat. It wouldn't have mattered that I looked 28 years old because the government will believe anything... Anybody seen the news reports about men in their 30s going to school with teenagers in Suffolk?

Alison

14 December 2018

How about our ex armed forces - reported as living on the streets - and our indigenous not able to get affordable social housing. At one time our social housing - talking of Churchill Gardens used to house local teachers and others working for the borough. There must be safe countries of the same background - and closer to 'child refugees' home country.